


Hallowtide

by Kara_Dreamer



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Comedy, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Halloween, M/M, Pacifist Frisk, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route - "I want to stay with you."
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-08-28 06:38:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8435383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kara_Dreamer/pseuds/Kara_Dreamer
Summary: While Papyrus and Mettaton are away, leading a tour group into the human city of Highlands to experience their first taste of Hallowe'en, Sans and Toriel try to relax at home but are interrupted by an increasingly disruptive succession of unexpected visitors.

We have difficulty acknowledging sadness, doubt, and fear. These are the emotions that your Hallowe'en is intended to evoke, are they not?"
"Well...I guess I never really thought of it that way, but, yeah, that's a fair reading. Humans don't being scared any more than you do, but we've figured out ways to have some fun with that dark stuff."
Toriel nodded sadly. "Monsters never have. There are those few monsters among us whose emotional nature is attuned toward pensive and melancholy feelings but...they tend to be solitary and find few friends."
"Oh. I'm sorry."





	1. All Hallows' Twilight

Chapter 1

**All Hallows' Twilight**

"So what was that we just watched?" asked Sans over blaring end-credits music.

"That was the new  _Ghostbusters_ film, Sans."

"Oh. Well, it was kind of fun but...Tori, d'you think the folks who wrote this consulted with any real ghosts first? They could have if they'd wanted."

"No, Sans. I do not think they did."

"I'm pretty sure they didn't consult with any real physicists either."

" _That_ I am sure of." Toriel pressed a light kiss to her lover's mouth. "Perhaps I should have recommended you as a technical advisor."

The last glimmer of evening twilight was fading from the late October sky. Sans was curled up with Toriel on her capacious and enormously comfortable living-room couch, going through a list of Hallowe'en-themed human entertainments compiled for them by Alphys and the irrepressible Mettaton.  _"Darlings!"_ he had said. "If you  _aren't_ going to experience the human Hallowe'en for yourself, at  _least_ have some spooky fun at home!"

Papyrus and Mettaton, along with a good many other monsters still getting used to life on the Surface in their new home of Ebbotsville, had been excited to learn that their human neighbors celebrated a holiday that was, in a sense, all about monsters. Sans's brother in his capacity as Royal Mascot of Monsterkind declared that there could be no better opportunity than Hallowe'en for a field trip into the human city of Highlands to partake of the festivities and forge deeper ties between human and monster societies. Mettaton, with his fanatical love for all human pop culture, had thrown himself into his boyfriend's project with all of the considerable energy his supple metal body could muster; thanks in part to his tireless publicity campaign he and Papyrus had drummed up enough interest among the other monsters to organize an entire tour group and charter a bus for the evening. Alphys and Undyne were with them, in full Sailor Moon regalia; with them also, costumed in a yellow and blue striped shirt and a red and blue baseball cap, was Frisk, whom Toriel had sent on their way two hours before with their mother's blessing and a kiss to the forehead.

Toriel had considered accompanying the group but a hard day at the Ebottsville school had worn her out; she politely if regretfully turned down Papyrus's and Mettaton's offer to join the tour, as well as their child's gentle entreaty to accompany them and their friends. Sans was secretly glad that Toriel had declined; while he welcomed his brother's enthusiasm he didn't share it himself, and Toriel's staying home gave Sans the perfect excuse not to go anywhere for the night other than down the street to Toriel's house.

"The Palace", as Sans liked to call it whenever Toriel was in earshot, was in fact a modest two-family bungalow that looked little different from most of the other houses that had been constructed in Ebottsville as the monsters filtered out of the Underground and settled in the once-abandoned human town. It wasn't even the largest dwelling in the settlement; that honor belonged to Mettaton's Bauhaus-styled, neon-accented mansion overlooking the rest of the town from atop one of the foothills of Mt. Ebott. Toriel's "Palace" was richly furnished in the Craftsman style, all dark hardwoods and hammered copper and black leather upholstery that served to make the occasional brightly-colored gift from Papyrus or Undyne or Alphys look even more cheerful by contrast. Sans had visited many times in the months following the destruction of the Barrier; already he had warmed to the place, but this was his third visit since he and Toriel had become a couple and now the queen's residence was starting to feel almost like a second home. Toriel was already needling him about leaving socks in her bedroom.

Sans grabbed the remote and shut  _Ghostbusters_ off. "Whaddya want to put on next, Tori? Don't want to watch another full-length movie right this minute, I don't think."

"I am inclined to agree," said Toriel as she reached for her phone and scrolled through the list that Alphys and Mettaton had sent her. "Oh, look, they've recommended an episode of 'Friendship is Magic'. We should watch that next! It will be a pleasant change of pace from the  _Ghostbusters_ film."

"'Friendship is Magic'?" Sans looked puzzled for a second but then remembered other visits at times when Frisk was at home and watching TV. "Oh,  _that_ show! Seriously, Tori? 'My Little Pony'?"

"What's wrong with 'My Little Pony'?" asked Toriel with a hint of remonstrance in her voice. "I have watched many episodes of it with my child and I like it very much."

"Oh, heh, nothing  _wrong_ with it," jested Sans, smiling and covering up his slight discomfiture. "I guess I've never  _ponied_ up the time to watch it before."

Toriel's musical, bleating laugh resonated throughout the house, warming Sans's bones to the marrow. "Ah, Sans! I love you." She punctuated her laughter with another kiss to Sans's face. "I can understand your reluctance. Whatever else the show might be, it is also a way to sell horsey toys to human children. But really it is charming and well-written as well. I daresay that you will enjoy it."

"Aw, gee, Tori...I'd enjoy watching  _anything_ with you," replied Sans, his cheekbones turning faintly blue. "Wild horsies couldn't drag me away."

"I know it well." She kissed him again. "All right, then! Open up Netflix and search for—"

Their conversation was interrupted by a quiet but insistent knocking from Toriel's front door. Both of them looked toward the door in mild surprise. "Tori?" asked Sans. "Are you expecting anyone?"

"No, not at all. All of our close friends are with Papyrus's tour group, so far as I know. Could it be a..." Toriel paused for a second to retrieve the unfamiliar human phrase from her memory. "...'trick-or-treater'?"

"I don't think so. They're supposed to yell 'trick or treat' when they do that. Anyway you really think some human is going to drive in the dark halfway up a mountain just to beg candy from monsters?"

"No, it does seem unlikely." With great reluctance Toriel released Sans from her embrace and pushed herself to her feet. "I shall see who it is. Please search Netflix for 'Friendship is Magic' and look for the episode 'Luna Eclipsed'. It is in the second season, I believe." As Sans fiddled with the remote Toriel went to answer the door. She opened it on a youngish, flustered-looking human with dark brown hair and wire-framed glasses hanging slightly askew on his face. From one hand dangled a backpack while the other was frantically thumbing buttons on his phone.

Toriel recognized him instantly. "Why, it is Stephen Corey, Dr. Alphys's assistant! I am pleased to see you again, Stephen. What brings you here so unexpectedly?"

"Can't get a fucking signal on this fucking piece of Android shit," muttered Stephen without looking up. "Hey, uh, guys, sorry to bother you, but my car's broken down and my phone's garbage and—" Only then did Stephen look up from his phone and recognize who he was talking to. "Oh, jeez! I didn't even know whose house this was...my apologies, your Majesty." Stephen made a hasty bow. "Forgive me for interrupting your evening. I will leave you to your—"

"Stephen, please! When have you  _ever_ known me to stand on ceremony?" Toriel smiled broadly and extended a paw. "You have interrupted nothing. Please come in and make yourself comfortable. Since you seem to be in some difficulty my friend Sans and I will endeavor to assist you. Is that not right, Sans?"

"Yeah, sure thing, buddy," Sans called out from the living room. "We're just watching cartoons, we weren't making out or getting naked or anything."

Stephen winced. "That's not  _exactly_ what I was thinking you were up to, Sans..."

"Really? Huh. I was kind of hoping that's what  _everyone_ thought we were doing."

Stephen managed a chuckle as he took off his shoes in the foyer and entered the living room where Sans was sitting. "I haven't been around this town long enough to speak for 'everyone' but I admit that my bosses won't stop gossiping about Toriel and you."

Sans's face lit up with a huge grin. "That's Alphys and Undyne for you. How are those two lovebirds doing?"

"They're doing fantastic! But they decided to join Papyrus's and Mettaton's expedition into Highlands for Hallowe'en. They were really excited about it. I wanted to finish up some work at the lab first and then drive down to the city to join up with the gang but, eh...doesn't look like luck's on my side. The work took longer than I wanted and then I couldn't get my car moving."

"Oh, dear!" replied Toriel as she joined Sans and Stephen in the living room. "Are you hoping to arrange a ride? I fear that very few of us monsters own vehicles."

"Not sure what I'm gonna do tonight, Lady Toriel," Stephen answered as he settled into an easy chair beside the couch. "Maybe Evelyn's right and I should just get a place here in town instead of commuting all the time. Not like I got a lot going on in Highlands."

Toriel resumed her seat at Sans's side, planting a swift kiss on the top of his head; the diminutive skeleton happily nestled himself close against his lover's side. "You would be the first human to settle here permanently, if you did! Aside from the convenience store owner Mr. Darzens but his case is unique. I cannot deny, Stephen, a certain excitement at the possibility that you may join our community."

"Eh, well, I'll think about it. For now I just want to relax for a few minutes at least, enjoy your hospitality and watch...uh..." Finally Stephen took in what was on Toriel's television. "You're watching 'My Little Pony'?"

The slightest touch of frost crept into Toriel's demeanor. "I  _am_ the mother of a human child, Stephen Corey. I am no stranger to children's programming."

"Oh, don't get me wrong! I've watched the show myself though I'm not a huge fan." He studied the television for a few moments. "Oh, it's the 'Nightmare Night' one. I've seen this, it's pretty good."

All of Toriel's warmth came flooding back again. "Ah, that is well! My child Frisk adores this program and I do agree that it seems to teach good lessons on occasion."

"Yeah, it's entertaining enough, good kid's fare. I admit, though, that I had a couple chums in college who were flippin'  _obsessed_ with this show and turned me off it, so I didn't actually get round to watching any until a few years later." Stephen shook his head, smiling wryly at old memories. "I wonder whatever happened to Brent. Sorry, I should say, 'Sparkling Helm' or whatever it was he started calling himself. He was really into ren faires and cosplay and stuff like that."

Sans giggled. "Seems like a lot of humans are into dressing up, Steve. Not you?"

Stephen guffawed. "I'm  _way_ too lazy for that."

"I knew I liked you for a reason. Didn't you say you were going trick-or-treating with my brother, though?"

"Oh, I just wanted to tag along. I don't do costumes."

"Are you still wanting to join the group, Stephen?" asked Toriel, who was idly stroking Sans's ribs. "I would be perfectly glad to call you a taxi, if you have no other means."

"I guess I should still try to join them? The impulse is kinda gone, but I've got nowhere else to go right now. Sometimes I've crashed with Alphys and Undyne if I didn't want to drive all the way back to town at the end of the day but they're not around tonight."

"Stephen, you are more than welcome to stay the night here, in my home. We have multiple spare rooms. You will be no trouble to us at all. Will he, dearest?"

"Oh, yeah!" Sans looked up from Toriel's chest and nodded toward Stephen. "You're a good kid, I trust you. You, uh, might need some headphones later in the evening, though."

"Huh?" Stephen's eyes darted back and forth between Sans and Toriel for a long moment before the light bulb in his head went off. "Oh. Oh, yeah. Well, I've got some earbuds." He looked away, blushing slightly. For the next couple of minutes nobody spoke, content with watching the travails of Princess Luna's struggle to win the acceptance of Ponyville.

"Speaking of costumes," Stephen asked at length, "mind if I ask you a question, you two? Like, you've got a bunch of monsters going into town for Hallowe'en this evening but I don't see anyone around  _here_ doing anything, well, Hallowe'eny. Forgive me for saying it but I figured that a town settled by monsters would look like something out 'A Nightmare before Christmas' during Hallowe'en season. Instead everything looks like business as usual. Do you have some other kind of holiday or festival analogous to Hallowe'en?"

"It's a bit tough to celebrate special times of year when you can't see the Sun, kiddo," Sans drawled. "It's not like we really had 'seasons' down Underground."

"Oh, huh. That hadn't actually occurred to me."

"But there is something else too, Stephen." Toriel briefly paused the episode so she could address the human more intently. "We monsters are very much creatures of feeling. 'Love, hope, and compassion,' in the words of one of our writers, are what constitute a monster's soul. Unfortunately, though, our natural empathy can give us trouble with, well, darker emotions. We have difficulty acknowledging sadness, doubt, and fear. These are the emotions that your Hallowe'en is intended to evoke, are they not?"

"Well...I guess I never really thought of it that way, but, yeah, that's a fair reading. Humans don't being scared any more than you do, but we've figured out ways to have some fun with that dark stuff."

Toriel nodded sadly. "Monsters never have. There are those few monsters among us whose emotional nature is attuned toward pensive and melancholy feelings but...they tend to be solitary and find few friends."

"Oh. I'm sorry." A corner of Stephen's mouth twitched in an attempt at a wry smile. "It's a bit surprising. I don't know if you know this, Lady Toriel, but a lot of us humans seem to think you monsters have your shit sorted out better than we do, and look up to you. It's a bit sobering to learn that even monsters can be lonely and depressed. I mean, I know that already because of, well...but Dr. Alphys is doing much better now. Still I can tell she has her bad days." Stephen forced a giggle. "So do I, when it comes down to it."

A wistful smile played across Toriel's long face. "As do I, Stephen. So do we all."

They watched the rest of 'Luna Eclipsed' in respectful silence.


	2. All Hallow's Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "...A lot of us admire monsters.” Stephen’s expression grew dreamy and he looked around, as though he could see through the walls of Toriel’s home to survey the city of Ebbotsville all around him in the dark. “Christ, look at what you all have already built here. Look at what my bosses have done, starting with almost nothing. People are starting to notice, and look up to you as role models.”
> 
> “Role models! Oh, my. That is a notion to give one pause.” Toriel stroked her muzzle with a thoughtful paw. “It is true that I have received some remarkably supportive correspondence on occasion from humans, wishing my kindred well in their new home and encouraging our continued success, but I had not dreamed that there were humans who wished to emulate us.”
> 
> “Mark my words, your Majesty, one of these days a bunch of human enthusiasts is gonna pound on your door and—”
> 
> Stephen stopped mid-sentence as a sharp triplet of knocks came from Toriel’s front door.
> 
> “That was quick,” Sans quipped.

Chapter Two

**All Hallow's Eve**

For the third time that evening the sprightly melody of the “Friendship is Magic” closing music resounded through the living room of “The Palace”. Toriel raised her muzzle from its resting place atop Sans’s head and blinked drowsily at the television.

“Sans,” she asked, “the next episode of ‘My Little Pony’ is about to start. Do you not want to return to our suggested Hallowe’en viewing?”

“Mmmm,” Sans replied without moving or looking up from his resting-place amid the folds of Toriel’s purple nightgown. “’Sfine. I’m enjoying myself just fine, aren’t you?”

“Always, dearest,” she murmured in answer, wrapping an arm around her lover and drawing him even more snugly against her side. As the television once belted out the opening lines to the “My Little Pony” theme song, Toriel waved her free arm in the general direction of Stephen, who was sitting placidly in an armchair on the other side of the living room and tapping away on his laptop. “Stephen, are you in need of anything? Or perhaps would you prefer us to select different entertainment?”

“On, no, Lady Toriel, I’m perfectly content,” the human called out. “I’m fine with MLP. Besides,” he added with a wry smile, “neither of you looks like you want to move any time soon.”

“Very true,” she replied, putting both arms now around Sans, cradling her paramour’s diminutive body to hers and nuzzling his face.

“Eh, we’re probably gonna want to leave the couch _eventually,_ ” Sans added, a whimsical note in his sleepy voice. “Depends on, uh, how much energy Tori gets to feeling later.”

“Sans,” purred Toriel, “I think you have learned that I _always_ have _that_ sort of ‘energy’ to summon up. In _abundant_ supply.” With one soft paw she took up Sans’s left hand from where it rested on her shoulder and guided it down to the swell of her right breast underneath the violet satin. “And you are so _very_ good at summoning my energy, Sans.”

Sans gave the proferred breast the gentlest of squeezes, looking up at Toriel’s face with a broad grin. “Who knew that I had it in me? Guess I had to meet  _ some ‘un _ like you.”

Toriel bleated with laughter and kissed Sans’s face. Stephen let slip an involuntary giggle. “You two!” he exclaimed. “You’re as lovey-dovey as my bosses, I swear.”

“Oh, no, I will _not_ have that,” declared Toriel, her voice authoritative but amused. “Alphys and Undyne are not to be matched when it comes to the enthusiasm of their public displays of affection for one another.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true enough. If you were Undyne and Alphys you’d probably have already excused yourself for a quickie in the linen closet.”

“Hm...” Toriel began to say, a speculative gleam in her brown eyes.

“Uh, _maybe_ some other evening, Tori,” Sans interrupted, his cheekbones flushing a pale blue. “Besides, you know me; I like comfort too much to get tremendously worked up at the idea of banging in a closet. I’d probably just end up banging something else, more than likely, like my skull against a shelf bracket.”

“Oh, Sans, my darling, blushing, _innocent_ Sans,” said Toriel, after a long and melodious laugh. “You are still so... _staid_ in many ways. And I love you for it.” She kissed him again.

“Aw, shucks,” Sans said, blushing even bluer. “How was I supposed to know that the august and respected Queen of Monsterkind was also an incurably horny goat woman who constantly thinks about sex?” He squeezed Toriel’s breast again, playfully, eliciting a sudden gasp and a bleating giggle. “I love you too, Tori. I’m so glad you’ve _staid_ with me.”

Stephen chuckled, blushing a little himself at the frankness of the two monsters’ talk. He shut his laptop and regarded the adoring couple on the couch with a wistful eye. “I have to admit, I’m just a little...I dunno, envious of you two.”

“Oh, dear...” Toriel put a paw to her mouth. “We are forgetting our manners. You are single, are you not, Stephen?” She straightened her posture on the couch, and Sans put his hand back on Toriel’s shoulder. “Forgive us for making you feel uncomfortable.”

“No, it’s not that! That’s just it...affection just seems to come so _naturally_ to you monsters, it doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable to be around. You two, Alphys and Undyne, those two burly guys who are always hanging around the Nice Cream truck together...you’re all so unashamedly _fond_ of each other. It feels...well, it feels good to be around. It’s refreshing, honestly. We humans...sometimes we have _so_ much trouble just admitting to our own damn feelings, you know?”

Toriel smiled for a moment but then the smiled dimmed; her eyes strayed over to the mantel over her fireplace. Stephen frowned at the sudden clouding of her mood and followed the direction of her gaze. On the mantel he saw a number of what looked like family photographs. He recognized the figures in most of the pictures: young Frisk, Sans and his brother, Toriel herself. But at the edge of the mantel, where Toriel’s eyes had glanced, was a small photograph of two persons whom Stephen did not know. One was a white-furred, floppy-eared, goat-like monster who could have been a youthful copy of the Queen—evidently a child, bright-eyed and smiling broadly.  _ A relative of Toriel’s?  _ Stephen thought.  _ But where are they now?  _ The young monster’s arm was thrown around the shoulders of another child—a  _ human  _ child, with brown hair and pale skin that emphasized the ruddiness of their cheeks. Reddish-brown eyes looked down and away from the camera out of a pensive face that bore only a hint of a smile.  _ Who? _ Stephen wanted to ask his host, but the question died on his lips before it could emerge.

“Yes, I know it well,” said Toriel, her eyes and her voice far away. “I have seen it.”

“Tori?” asked Sans. He muted the incongruous sounds of cheerful ponies and looked up at his lover with a worried expression. “You okay? Maybe we should head to bed.”

“Hm?” She blinked a few times and glanced down at Sans with a reassuring smile. “No, not yet, love. I am fine.” She pecked a kiss to his forehead. “In any case, Stephen, I am heartened to know that you are not troubled by our, ah, indecorous behavior with each other. What you say has some truth to it; when monsters’ affections are roused, we are not shy about expressing them. But freedom with our feelings does not always come as ‘naturally’ as we would like. Even in your short time working among us, you have seen some hint of Dr. Alphys’s troubles in this regard.”

“Huh, yeah, I forgot about that.” Stephen frowned and scratched his head, remembering his employer’s bout with depression in his early months at Alphyne Labs. “But she’s opened up so much lately! Undyne’s been an amazing influence on her.” Stephen grinned. “ _She’s_ got no problems being open about her feelings! No wonder she’s got so many human fans.”

“Wait, what?” Sans peered at Stephen. “Undyne has ‘fans’?”

“Oh, um...don’t you know?” Stephen shifted about in his seat, suddenly a touch self-conscious. “You monsters, you’ve got some, uh, critics in the human world, as you probably well know...”

Toriel sighed. “Stephen, you need not remind me. There are many letters and e-mails I could show you.”

“ _Please_ don’t. But you’ve got a lot of boosters as well! Like my artist friend Evelyn. I can't remember, have you ever met her? She's visited a few times."

"Evelyn...ah, yes, Ms. Strecker, correct?" Toriel nodded. "Yes, I remember her now. From one of Dr. Alphys's anime nights, when I happened to be there as well with my Frisk."

"Yeah! Anyway, she  _ loves  _ to draw monsters now,  _ especially  _ Undyne. In fact she sent me one of her latest drawings of Undyne earlier today that I could show—” Stephen flicked on his phone, but then his cheeks turned pink and he pocketed it again. “Uh, second thought, maybe I shouldn’t show you that one.”

Sans laughed. “If it's  _ that _ sort of drawing maybe you should show Undyne. I’m sure she’d go for it.”

“I don’t doubt that! But believe me, it’s about more than just, um, flattering artwork. A lot of us _admire_ monsters.” Stephen’s expression grew dreamy and he looked around, as though he could see through the walls of Toriel’s home to survey the city of Ebbotsville all around him in the dark. “Christ, look at what you all have already built here. Look at what my bosses have done, starting with almost _nothing._ People are starting to notice, and look up to you as role models.”

“Role models! Oh, my. That _is_ a notion to give one pause.” Toriel stroked her muzzle with a thoughtful paw. “It is true that I have received some remarkably supportive correspondence on occasion from humans, wishing my kindred well in their new home and encouraging our continued success, but I had not dreamed that there were humans who wished to _emulate_ us.”

“Mark my words, your Majesty, one of these days a bunch of human enthusiasts is gonna pound on your door and—”

Stephen stopped mid-sentence as a sharp triplet of knocks came from Toriel’s front door.

“That was quick,” Sans quipped.

“What the f—what time is it anyway?” Stephen glanced at the clock over the fireplace. “After nine—”

The triplet of knocks came again, this time with a curiously muffled-sounding voice calling out, “Trick or Treat!”

Toriel and Sans exchanged looks. “It looks as though you were wrong, Sans,” said the queen.

“I’ve been wrong before,” Sans admitted. “We don’t _have_ to answer the door, you know. Do you even have any candy to give out? Neither of us was expecting _this._ ”

Stephen was squinting and rubbing his forehead. “I swear I’ve heard that voice before,” he said half to himself.

“I will answer,” announced Toriel with finality, clicking off the television, gently detaching herself from Sans and getting to her feet, carefully gathering her nightgown about herself and smoothing her fur with a few strokes of her paws. Sans gazed at her in open adoration as Toriel arrayed herself. “Mere force of habit, I suppose, but to _ignore_ any person who calls upon me goes against my very nature.” She strode to the foyer, the exemplar of royal poise dressed even as she was in her nightclothes, and answered the door. “Good evening!” she began, her contralto voice at its deepest and most resonant pitch, but both Sans and Stephen could hear how her voice rose in uncertainty as she completed her greeting. “...how may I...help you?”

“Oh my gosh,” said a different voice from the first, in a cracked whisper. “It’s _her._ ”

“Have I the pleasure of addressing the Queen of Monsters?” said the first, muffled-sounding voice. “I am Shining Helm of the Royal Guard of Equestria. Trick or Treat?”

Stephen leapt from his seat and advanced toward the foyer, stopping dead when he saw the trio of figures standing on the front porch. The rearmost of the figures, a slender but tall human, had costumed herself in a more or less conventional Batman outfit, although she had opted to let her long red hair flow out from underneath her headpiece rather than attempt to conceal it. The central personage—Stephen cringed to realize it—had gone to some considerable trouble to cosplay as none other than the monsters’ favorite pop idol Mettaton, with silver and black facepaint skillfully applied and a skin-tight costume pieced together from spandex fabric and polystyrene sheeting. At the head of the trio stood a bulky man in a My-Little-Pony-style suit made from lilac-colored faux fur and ornamented with an aluminum breastplate and aluminum-and-horsehair helmet.

“ _Brent??_ ” cried Stephen. “What the hell are _you_ doing here?”

“Who is ‘Brent’? As I said, my name is—” said the muffled voice, but then the man’s composure gave way and awkwardly he yanked off his costume’s head with clumsy faux-fur hooves, revealing a sweaty brown face, short-cropped black hair and dark eyes that stared uncomprehendingly at Stephen. “Jesus, Steve, how do you _always_ manage to ruin the magic? Why are _you_ here?”

Toriel looked back and forth between the two humans and suppressed a deep chuckle. “Plainly, Stephen Corey, I am witness to the accidental reunion of old friends. This is the ‘Brent’ of whom you spoke earlier, I take it?” She bowed to the newcomer and his two companions. “I am Toriel. I am honored to welcome you to my home.”

“Your Highness,” said ‘Mettaton’, bowing obsequiously. “I never thought I’d get to meet _you_ like this! Martin is my name, Dess Martin.”

The third visitor merely inclined her head politely. In a clipped tone she said simply, “I’m Batman.”

“Hey folks,” called out Sans, still ensconced on the couch with no evident desire to move from it.

“Please, come in out of the cold!” said Toriel. The group of trick-or-treaters filed in; ‘Batman’ shut the door behind the three and stood upright at the entrance to the living room, arms crossed in a posture of stoic watchfulness, while the other two ventured further inside, looking about Toriel’s richly-appointed home and nodding in approval.

‘Shining Helm’, with helm firmly tucked into an armpit, was still treating Stephen to the occasional sour look not untinged with resentment. “We came here to Ebbotsville to give the monsters a taste of Hallowe’en fun, Steve, and instead we get _you_. How on Earth did an old stick in the mud like you end up under the roof of the Queen of the Monsters?”

“I work here! Well, not _here,_ but I’ve got a job in Ebottsville now, doing chemistry at Alphyne Labs for the last several months. My car broke down this evening and Lady Toriel kindly offered to put me up for the night. I’m here on _business,_ not just some—some wild hair to pester the monsters with your pony act!”

“Stephen.” The human felt Toriel’s restraining paw on his shoulder and he fell silent, breathing deeply to calm himself. “There is no need for such asperity. Plainly you and your old friend—”

“’Friend’ is pushing it,” muttered the other man.

“Plainly you and your old acquaintance have some past differences to work through, but tonight is not the time for them. Please, let us restore the evening to its customary peace, and greet our new guests in a spirit of holiday amity.”

Stephen bowed his head, chastened. “As you wish, Lady Toriel. I’m sorry.”

Martin nudged ‘Batman’ in the ribs. “Listen to  _ that _ ! Isn’t she  _ amazing _ ?” they whispered, in a voice of undisguised reverence. 

“In any case, Brent—or should I say ‘Shining Helm’? I endeavor to be correct,” continued Toriel.

Brent shot Stephen a smug look, grinned and bowed in turn. “I would prefer ‘Shining Helm’, in fact, your Majesty.”

Toriel smiled. “And I would prefer simply ‘Toriel’, or ‘Lady Toriel’, if you are more comfortable with formal address. Shining Helm, I fear to say that I was unprepared for Hallowe’en trick-or-treaters, not imagining that any humans would think to travel this far afield on a such a night. What induced you and your friends to make the journey up Mt. Ebott?”

“Oh, it was your Royal Mascot!” Martin broke in. “Papyrus arrived with his tour group in Highlands a few hours ago and his entourage visited the Hallowe’en bash that we happened to be attending.”

“Is that so!” Sans abruptly came alive, jumping down from his nesting-place on Toriel’s couch and walking towards the foyer, his face set in an enormous grin. “You met Paps huh? Well, humans...” Without losing his smile, Sans dropped his jaunty manner, and a dark overtone crept into his voice. “You’d better have treated my little brother right.”

“Uh, um...” Martin stumbled over his words for a few moments. “You’re, uh, you’re Sans, right? Yeah, um...you don’t have to worry! We loved your brother, Sans. Papyrus is so _cool!_ He’s such a hoot! And his partner, well...” Martin giggled shyly and became suddenly interested in their own hot pink boot. “Mettaton, the real Mettaton, was really fascinated by my cosplay. Made me promise I’d write him all about how I put it together.”

Sans snorted, his humor restored. “That’s Paps’s diva boyfriend for you. You probably made his whole  _ year, _ dressing up like that. I’m glad you got on with my brother, though. You’re all right. Put ‘er there.” Sans stuck out his hand.

Martin grasped Sans’s hand and was immediately greeted with a flatulent, rasping exhalation of air. They yelped, then their eyes popped open in utter delight.

“Oh my _god_ did you really just whoopee-cushion me? Oh _wow!_ Did you hear that?!” Martin nudged ‘Batman’ again, barely able to contain their excitement. “I just got pranked by _Sans!_ ” Immediately Martin fished out their phone and began tapping away at it.

‘Shining Helm’ smiled indulgently at his friend, then took up the story. “Anyway, Lady Toriel, we had a blast when your Mascot turned up at our party, but then he told us that monsters didn’t celebrate anything like Hallowe’en. We felt kinda bad that Papyrus and his pals had to travel all the way down from the mountain just to have some fun and so a few of us thought, why not bring some fun to you? Guess we really didn’t think things through, though.” Shining Helm frowned. “Hardly anyone answered their doors.”

“I am sorry, Shining Helm.” Toriel’s eyes filled with compassion. “Old habits of mistrust die hard. Most of my people still do not wish to have much, if anything, to do with humans, despite the progress we have made toward concord with one another.”

“We did get a polite greeting at Grillby’s, though! I mean, we got some wary looks from the monsters there, but Grillby himself was very nice and welcoming to us. I think.” ‘Shining Helm’ rubbed his chin with a ‘hoof’. “At least that’s what that bird monster told us Grillby was saying. None of us could make out a word. Is he really made out of fire? How comes his clothes don’t burn off?”

Sans laughed as he made his way back to the couch to nest once more among the cushions. “So you went into Grillby’s place! Home away from home.” At this Toriel shot her lover a piercing look. “Uh, I mean, it  _ used _ to be. Now, uh, I guess it’s home away from home away from home, heh heh. And there’s no way Grillby’s clothes are ever gonna burn. He’s  _ way _ too cool for that.”

Toriel, mollified, gave a little bleat of laughter. ‘Shining Helm’ and Martin giggled. Stephen bit back a groan. ‘Batman’ looked thoughtful for a second, raised a gloved finger as if to speak, then subsided and resumed her stern posture.

“In any case, human friends...” Toriel turned to face the three newcomers with paws clasped in front of her. She inclined her head respectfully. “I am profoundly grateful that you were inspired to share your holiday enjoyment with us. I fear that I have nothing to offer that is strictly appropriate to human Hallowe’en—at least as I understand it. But I can offer you a cup of hot tea, perhaps, and a slice of pie. Will you be my guests for a short while?”

“Gosh, Lady Toriel,” said ‘Shining Helm’ in excitement, “We’d be thrilled!”

“Will you be needing some, ah, assistance with your costumes?” Toriel glanced at the three humans. “The other two will probably have no trouble with food or drink but I am unsure whether you, Shining Helm, can handle utensils with those...hooves.”

“Ah, hah, yeah. I’ll have to unzip a bit.”

“What, and ruin more of the magic?” Stephen interjected.

“ _Ste_ -phen _Co_ -rey!” admonished Toriel, as though she were addressing a troublesome grade-school student. “While you are a guest in my household I beseech you to treat my other guests with deference. Outside these walls you may be as sardonic as you see fit but within them, please be respectful.”

Stephen lowered his eyes. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Thank you, Stephen. Oh, child, there is no need to look glum. Would you like to help me set the table?”

The chemist brightened a little. “Certainly, Lady Toriel!” He accepted the stack of dessert plates that she handed him and began to lay them out.

“Sans? Would you like to join us?” Toriel called out as she began to fill her tea-kettle.

“Nah, Tori, I’m good,” Sans replied. “Gonna stay here if you don’t mind and channel-surf. Besides, the couch is still warm from your butt.”

“Oh, my!” Toriel laughed, as did all the humans present except for ‘Batman’, who only looked quizzical. “Now, my guests, I have two kinds of pie on hand, a pumpkin pie and a butterscotch-cinnamon, and several varieties of tea, so I will simply set them all on the table for you to choose from. Do not hesitate to make any reasonable requests! I shall do my utmost to fulfill them.”

“Well, Lady Toriel,” said Martin as they seated themself, “perhaps you can tell me where you got that _stunning_ violet nightgown? I happen to know someone who, well, cosplays as _you._ In fact do you mind if I photograph you and send him the pics?”

_ I wanna die, _ thought Stephen as he rummaged for silverware.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally an update, a couple months too late. I've decided that Stephen Corey is not going to escape from this story without a bit of egg on his face; since he is a bit of an author self-insert, sort of copied off myself as if I'd managed to graduate from my first college instead of flunking and going in a different direction, I am obliged not to make him too comfortable here.
> 
> Again going with organic-chemistry-themed names: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dess%E2%80%93Martin_periodinane

**Author's Note:**

> While I was intending my next work to be a return to Chara and Asriel Dreemurr, work on this story supervened. I was hoping to finish it by the end of Hallowe'en night; that's probably not going to happen but at least I gave it a good start.
> 
> Stephen Corey, the alcoholic (but recovering) human chemist who's the protagonist of the unfinished "Something a Little More Plain", returns here to kick off the story and facilitate a little exposition. He's still working at Alphys's and Undyne's lab. He's still single. He knows a number of the other monsters by sight but that's about it; he doesn't need to know much here.


End file.
